Crack a Smile... and More!

Last updated
Crack a Smile... and More!
Poison-CrackSimle1123.jpg
Studio album by
Poison
ReleasedMarch 14, 2000
Recorded1994–1995 at Devonshire Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length75:38
Label Capitol
Producer John Purdell & Duane Baron
Poison chronology
Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996
(1996)		Crack a Smile... and More!
(2000)		 Power to the People
(2000)
Singles from Crack a Smile... and More!
  1. "Shut Up, Make Love"
    Released: January 2000
  2. "Be the One"
    Released: February 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Melody Maker Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Metal Hammer 8/10 [4]

Crack a Smile... and More! is the fifth studio album from the American hard rock band Poison. The record was released on March 14, 2000. The album features guitarist Blues Saraceno, who was hired as the band's new lead guitarist following the firing of Richie Kotzen in late 1993. Saraceno appeared on the band's last album release Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 in 1996, which featured two new tracks with him on lead guitar. Those two new tracks re-appear on this album along with thirteen new songs and five bonus tracks. The album moved around 12,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at #131 on the Billboard 200 album chart. [5] [6]

Contents

Musical style

Crack a Smile, while replete with guitar performances comparable with those on Poison's previous studio record, Native Tongue , contains few traces of the seriousness of that record.

Production and marketing

The life cycle of Crack a Smile, which began in 1994, was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when vocalist Bret Michaels lost control of his Ferrari. Michaels suffered a broken nose, ribs, jaw and fingers, and lost four teeth. [7]

After his recovery, the band continued recording in 1995. However, to the group's dismay, Capitol Records had by this time decided to put the album "on hold", and instead released a Greatest Hits record in 1996. [8] It was not until March 14, 2000, that the record was finally released. The album's eventual release was prompted by strong fan demand, with promotional copies and bootlegs selling for $50 or more. In order to compete with the bootleg release, Capitol took the unusual step of throwing in additional bonus tracks to the album. The bootleg version of the album contained the original 12 album tracks, 6 songs from Poison's MTV Unplugged performance, and their cover of the Kiss classic "Rock and Roll All Nite." The final version of the album, titled Crack a Smile... and More!, contained the original 12 album tracks, two studio outtakes, one unnamed demo, "Face the Hangman" (previously released only as a B-side on European singles for "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"), and four of the songs from MTV Unplugged .

Saraceno was given considerable creative freedom and his writing and performing contributions dominated the album. The album's studio tracks were recorded at Devonshire Studios, Hollywood, California. Saraceno plays on these new songs (tracks 1–15), and original guitarist C.C. DeVille plays on the remaining bonus tracks, which are tracks recorded before this time. The songs "Sexual Thing" and "Lay Your Body Down" were first released on Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996 album as bonus new tracks. [9]

Songs

"Shut Up, Make Love", which is the first single presented to radio stations, is a raunchy party anthem. "Be the One" (second promo single) and "Lay Your Body Down" are classic power ballads. "Best Thing You Ever Had" brings harmonica and piano to the forefront, while guitarist Blues Saraceno lives up to his name on "Mr. Smiley" and "That's the Way I Like It." The band goes all-out punk on "Doin' as I Seen on My TV," returning to vintage Poison on "Sexual Thing," and "Baby Gets Around a Bit". It also delivers an inebriated version of Dr. Hook's "Cover of the Rolling Stone."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bret Michaels, Bobby Dall, Rikki Rockett, and Blues Saraceno, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Best Thing You Ever Had" 4:19
2."Shut Up, Make Love" 3:52
3."Baby Gets Around a Bit" 3:37
4."Cover of the Rolling Stone" (Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show cover) Shel Silverstein 3:09
5."Be the One" 5:39
6."Mr. Smiley" 2:43
7."Sexual Thing" 3:38
8."Lay Your Body Down" 5:28
9."No Ring, No Gets" 3:27
10."That's the Way I Like It" 3:40
11."Tragically Unhip" 2:54
12."Doin' as I Seen on My TV" 2:53
13."One More for the Bone" (Outtake track) 3:18
14."Set You Free" (Outtake track) 3:56
15."Crack a Smile" (Unfinished demo) 3:46
Total length:75:38
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Face the Hangman" (Outtake from Open Up and Say... Ahh! )
3:21
17."Your Mama Don't Dance" (Live on MTV Unplugged ; Loggins and Messina cover)
3:13
18."Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (Live on MTV Unplugged)
  • Michaels
  • Dall
  • Rockett
  • DeVille
4:38
19."Unskinny Bop" (Live on MTV Unplugged)
  • Michaels
  • Dall
  • Rockett
  • DeVille
4:02
20."Talk Dirty to Me" (Live on MTV Unplugged)
  • Michaels
  • Dall
  • Rockett
  • DeVille
4:06

Personnel

Additional personnel

Singles

Charts

Chart (2000)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [10] 131

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison (band)</span> American glam metal band

Poison is an American glam metal band formed in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983. The most successful incarnation of the band consists of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Bret Michaels, drummer Rikki Rockett, bassist Bobby Dall and lead guitarist C.C. DeVille. The band achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s and sold over 40 million records and DVDs worldwide.

<i>Look What the Cat Dragged In</i> 1986 studio album by Poison

Look What the Cat Dragged In is the debut studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released on August 16, 1986, by Enigma Records. Though not a success at first, it steadily built momentum and peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200 on May 23, 1987. The album spawned three successful singles: "Talk Dirty to Me", "I Want Action", and "I Won't Forget You".

Blues Saraceno is an American rock guitarist, composer and music producer, currently residing in Los Angeles, California. He was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis.

<i>Open Up and Say... Ahh!</i> 1988 studio album by Poison

Open Up and Say... Ahh! is the second studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released on April 27, 1988, through Enigma Records. It proved to be the band's most successful release, and spawned four hit singles: "Nothin' But a Good Time", "Fallen Angel", "Your Mama Don't Dance" and their only number one single to date, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". The album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rikki Rockett</span> American drummer

Richard Allan Ream, better known by the stage name Rikki Rockett, is an American drummer for rock band Poison. The band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and 15 million records in the United States alone.

<i>Flesh & Blood</i> (Poison album) 1990 music album

Flesh & Blood is the third studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released on July 2, 1990, through the Enigma label of Capitol Records. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard charts and more than 7.2 million copies were sold worldwide. It peaked at number 1 on the Cash Box charts.

<i>Hollyweird</i> 2002 studio album by Poison

Hollyweird is the sixth studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released through Cyanide Music on May 21, 2002. It debuted at No. 103 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 8 on the Independent Albums chart and sold 11,000 copies in its first week. As of 2023, it is the band's most recent album of original material.

<i>Native Tongue</i> (Poison album) 1993 studio album by Poison

Native Tongue is the fourth studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released in 1993 through Capitol Records. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200, #20 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the RIAA on April 21, 1993. It has also been certified platinum in Canada. This is the only album to feature lead guitarist Richie Kotzen. Kotzen was hired as the band's guitarist following the firing of C.C. DeVille in late 1991. The album features the singles "Stand", "Until You Suffer Some " and "Body Talk".

<i>Swallow This Live</i> 1991 live album by Poison

Swallow This Live is the first live album by American glam metal band Poison. It was released in 1991 by Capitol Records. The album peaked at number 51 on the Billboard 200, number 42 on the Cash Box albums chart, and was certified Gold in 2001 by the RIAA.

<i>The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock</i> 2006 greatest hits album by Poison

The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock is a compilation album from the American glam metal band Poison, released by Capitol Records on April 3, 2006, to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. It sold more than one million copies to date in the U.S as of September 2009.

<i>Power to the People</i> (Poison album) 2000 studio album with live tracks by Poison

Power to the People is an album by the American rock band Poison, released on June 13, 2000, on the band's independent label, Cyanide Music. It marked the return of the original lineup, together for the first time since 1991's Swallow This Live with the return of C.C. DeVille who replaced Blues Saraceno.

<i>Poisons Greatest Hits: 1986–1996</i> 1996 greatest hits album by Poison

Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986–1996 is the first greatest hits compilation CD from the glam metal band Poison. The album was released on November 26, 1996, by Capitol Records. The album contains 16 tracks from the band's first four studio albums and also the live double-album Swallow This Live.

<i>Best of Ballads & Blues</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Poison

Best of Ballads & Blues is a greatest hits compilation album from the American hard rock band Poison. It was released on August 5, 2003 on Capitol Records.

<i>Poison – Rock Champions</i> 2001 compilation album by Poison

Poison – Rock Champions is a compilation album by American rock band Poison, released in 2001 by EMI.

<i>Great Big Hits Live! Bootleg</i> 2006 live album by Poison

Great Big Hits Live! Bootleg is an album by American glam metal band Poison, released by Sony BMG on July 4, 2006. The album consists of 10 live tracks from Poison's successful 1999-2000 Comeback tour. All the songs but three are Poison singles that charted on The Billboard Hot 100 including the number 1 hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

<i>Poisond!</i> 2007 studio album (part compilation) by Poison

Poison'd! is the seventh studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released through Capitol Records on June 5, 2007. The 14-track album features cover versions of the band's favorite rock classics. Nine new tracks and five previously released covers make up the album.

<i>Glitter 4 Your Soul</i> 2003 studio album by Rikki Rockett

Glitter 4 Your Soul is the debut studio album by Poison drummer Rikki Rockett, released in 2003. The record features former Poison band member Blues Saraceno on guitars also Poison front man Bret Michaels provides lead vocals for "Tear it Down" and Rikki Rockett himself sings his first lead vocal on "Life's a Gas".

<i>Poison Greatest Video Hits</i> 2001 video by Poison

Poison Greatest Video Hits is the fifth DVD/video from the rock band Poison, released in 2001 following the success of the VH1 Behind the Music episode of the band.

<i>Nothing But a Good Time! Unauthorized</i> 2003 video by Poison

Nothing but a Good Time! Unauthorized is a documentary film centered around U.S. hard rock/glam metal band Poison that was released in 2003 following the distribution of the band's studio album Hollyweird. Taking its title from the 1988 Poison single "Nothin' But a Good Time", it features interviews with related musicians such as Bret Michaels and C.C. DeVille

<i>Double Dose: Ultimate Hits</i> 2011 greatest hits album by Poison

Poison - Double Dose: Ultimate Hits is a double disc greatest hits compilation album released May 3, 2011 by the hard rock band Poison to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary. The career-spanning collection features thirty-five of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites. The album charted at #23 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart and #17 in Canada.

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ Zell, Ray (May 13, 2000). "Albums". Kerrang! . No. 801. EMAP. p. 46.
  3. ↑ Album reviews at CD Universe
  4. ↑ Sadler, Darren (June 2000). "Under the Hammer". Metal Hammer . No. 79. UK: Future plc. p. 76.
  5. ↑ "Poison Billboard charts". Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Sludge Scan For March 2000". 2015. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  7. ↑ "Poison bio". 2011.
  8. ↑ "Living Legends: music info on Poison". 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05.
  9. ↑ "Poison Greatest Hits review". Allmusic.
  10. ↑ "Poison Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.